


1.11: Reborn

by JustLikeTheSong



Series: NYC Spin-Off 'Verse [14]
Category: Glee
Genre: Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-22
Updated: 2013-01-22
Packaged: 2017-11-26 10:44:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/649694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustLikeTheSong/pseuds/JustLikeTheSong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(1) Rachel and Blaine find out their marks for their dance class, and Blaine looks for a new place for his friends to hang out.</p><p>(2) Kurt tries to help Rachel when his friend continues to struggle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Place

“I love this skin right here,” [Blaine](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me3bsg5DxR1qat4jdo1_500.gif) murmured against [Kurt’s](http://25.media.tumblr.com/cb2bd1bb1c563898d0345587b099459b/tumblr_mfb4so8z461qeds6ko1_500.jpg) lips.  He had just pulled Kurt’s shirt tails out from his pants, resting his fingers on Kurt’s belt as his thumbs traced lazy circles on the newly-exposed skin of his lower back.

“Just  _that_  skin?” Kurt asked teasingly, leaning down from where he was straddling Blaine’s lap on their bed until Blaine’s back hit the mattress and Kurt was lying on top of him.  

Blaine smiled and shook his head.  ”Nope.  Pretty sure I love every inch of you.”

“Mmmm.  The feeling is mutual.”

Blaine shifted his leg to slide up and press firmly between Kurt’s legs, making him moan into their kiss.  Blaine pressed harder, slowly rocking his hips to build some friction for Kurt.

“Slow down, mister,” Kurt breathed, “these are new pants and I don’t want them ruined.”

Blaine’s hands slid down until his fingers were tracing the outer seams along the thighs of Kurt’s red pants.  “I am a big fan of these pants,” he said, kissing the soft skin just under Kurt’s chin as his boyfriend arched his neck, “I’d never want any harm to come to them.  It’s probably best if you take them off.”

Kurt giggled quietly and tilted his body to the side, rolling onto his back and pulling Blaine on top of him.  Blaine caught Kurt’s mouth in a hard kiss, one arm resting on the bed so he could cup the back of Kurt’s head, burying his fingers in his silky chestnut hair, his other hand working open Kurt’s belt.

“Blaine, I need to use your computer!” [Rachel](http://static.entertainmentwise.com/gallery/4156499_spl137045_007.jpg) announced, bursting into their room without so much as a perfunctory knock.  Kurt let out a surprised yelp and Blaine almost fell off the bed as he scrambled to get off of him, but Rachel didn’t even look at them, making a beeline for Blaine’s laptop, sitting open on the desk.  “My new one hasn’t arrived yet and Santana isn’t here.”

“Rachel!” Kurt snapped, propping himself up on his elbows.  “Boundaries! Hello?!”

“This is important,” Rachel insisted, a fierce look of determination on her face as she booted up the laptop, “Blaine, what’s your password?  I swear, Cassandra is doing this just to torture me.  Waiting this long to put up my grade…”

Blaine sighed, kissing Kurt’s nose in apology as he got up to help her, and Kurt flopped back onto the bed with an annoyed huff.

“She hasn’t put up my mark yet, either,” Blaine told Rachel as he typed in his password, “I doubt it’s because of some vendetta against you.”

“Well, you check first, then” she said, pulling at her hair in agitation, arranging it over her shoulder.

Blaine held his breath for a moment as the page loaded, and then smiled, breathing out in relief.  “B.  Not my usual standard, but considering the professor, I’ll take it.”  Kurt’s face shifted from petulant frustration to a beaming smile as Blaine made his way back to their bed, and he gave him a kiss in congratulations.

“Okay.”  Rachel smoothed down her shirt, straightening her shoulders.  “Okay.  It’s time.”

“You’re not facing an executioner, Rachel,” Kurt said, his voice still laced with irritation, “get a move on so you can get out of our room.”

Rachel glared over her shoulder at him before facing the laptop again, typing in her login information as she worried her lip.

As they waited, Blaine busied himself with tracing the outer seam of Kurt’s pants again, grinning when he squirmed and blushed.  Kurt’s hand slid over his thigh in response, inching up teasingly.

Rachel let out a small gasp.

“How did you do?” Blaine asked, and Kurt withdrew his hand, frowning at the back of Rachel’s head.

“Rachel?” Kurt said, after a moment of silence.

“I failed.”

***

“So she’s taking it pretty hard?” [Mike](http://www.ryanseacrest.com/wp-content/gallery/amber-riley-harry-shum-jr-from-glee-in-studio-feb-8-2010/harryshumamberriley_sadaoturner_12.jpg) said as he took the lid off of his chai latte. [Blaine](http://img.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/6a00e54fb7301c88340147e23cee08970b-800wi.pbbig.jpg) and [Santana](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k2nhSYCxn50/TvbwioAT8uI/AAAAAAAAAxE/Ji_nlNqiX30/s1600/Naya+Rivera.jpg) had decided, after two days of Rachel moping around the loft, to hang out with a non-roommate for a while, while Kurt was at work.

“First of all: wanky.  And yes, she’s a mess,” Santana said with a roll of her eyes, drumming her nails on the table, “then again, when isn’t Rachel a complete disaster of a person?”

“And this is why you shouldn’t be around her right now,” Blaine told her.  “The point is, I think it would help if we found a new place to hang out.”

“Well, I agree with that,” Santana said, “ _Callbacks_  basically reeks of Rachel’s rebound douchebag, and I can’t be held responsible for what I do if I see Cardboard Von Slimeball again.”

“…I just thought, you know, new year, new start.  Rachel really needs one, and this is a small way we could help with that,” Blaine said, “especially if we found a cool new place and had a night to blow off steam before the new semester officially starts.”  Truth be told, he felt frustrated and sad that he wasn’t able to do more.  That he hadn’t been able to successfully intervene when he saw Rachel tail-spinning for the past few months.  “And why should we limit ourselves to one place, anyway?” 

Mike nodded.  “New York is crazy big.  Like, I can’t wrap my head around it.  It feels like we’ve barely seen any of it.  The piano bar is cool, but what about a place with a band, maybe somewhere that plays more dance-friendly music?”

“I’m always good to gets my party on,” Santana said, draining the rest of her cappuccino, “especially since my semester is going to be a total bitch.  I’m taking _calculus_ , for God’s sake.”

“We should pair up and see what we can find,” Blaine said.  He swirled what remained of his medium drip thoughtfully.  “Mike, do you think Kevser would like to look with us?”

“Dibs on Kevser,” Santana said automatically, “there is no way two hot bitches like us aren’t going to find a better place faster than you nerds.”

“Hey!” Mike said.

Santana laughed.  “Mike, you might’ve been popular in high school, but you took to glee club like a duck to water.  ‘Dork’ is your natural state.  I mean, you, Blaine, and Kurt all own yellow pants.  Enough said.”

Blaine and Mike exchanged a look.  “We’re going to have to take this as a challenge, you know,” Mike told her.

“Bring it on, boys,” Santana said, settling back in her seat and crossing her arms, smiling like the Cheshire Cat, “in fact, why don’t we make a bet out of it?  Whoever finds the winning place gets to pick a song for the losing team to sing when we go there tomorrow night.”

“That’s fine,” Blaine told her with a gentle smile, before leaning in and giving her hand a patronizing pat, “I can handle any number you throw at me, anyway.”

“Oooh,” Mike jeered.

Santana stared and then laughed again in surprise, but that didn’t stop her from starting in on the trash talk.

***

Despite the bragging from both sides, both teams were unsuccessful.  They took photos of a few places that seemed okay and texted them to each other, but no one could agree on a place, and no one felt strongly enough about any of their finds to really push for them.  It wasn’t that the places were bad, but nothing felt like quite the right fit.

“I guess we can look again tomorrow morning?” Mike suggested as he and Blaine said goodbye.

Blaine nodded.  “If we can’t find anything, I guess we’ll have to stick to Callbacks.  For a while, anyway.”

They parted ways and Blaine rounded the corner, making his way to the nearest subway station, when a small sign on a building wedged between two higher ones caught his eye:

**_A Bar of Note(s)_ **

He paused, considering, and looked around.  He was about a 15 minute cab ride away from the loft.  The bar was sort of tucked away, kind of a hole-in-the-wall, but he decided to check it out anyway, one last effort for the night.

Once he let himself inside, he liked it immediately.  It was a cozy place, but not too dimly lit.  A DJ was currently playing a top 40 hit, but people were just finishing setting up instruments on a small stage.  Blaine also spied a karaoke machine.  He let the bouncer stamp his wrist to indicate he was under age, and then looked around a little more.  People were chatting happily, the music not too loud to converse, and a couple people were dancing on a small dance floor with lit-up tiles, the night still young.  Blaine felt a grin spread on his face; he really liked this place.  He pulled out his phone and snapped a couple pictures, sending them to Santana and Mike, along with some details, like the poster slapped up on a wall proclaiming Friday nights  _Open Mic Nights_  and Saturdays  _Karaoke Nights_.  He sat at the bar and ordered a soda, looking towards the stage when the DJ killed the music and someone stepped up, holding a guitar, and began to play a spirited instrumental piece.

His phone buzzed, and he looked down at his incoming texts.

From Mike:  _Seems like a winner!_

Santana:  _Pretty decent_

Grinning to himself, he pocketed his phone, pulling out a couple bills to pay for his drink.  That was the most enthusiastic response he’d had from Santana all evening.

“Do you have to book a spot to perform, or can anyone just go up?” He asked the bartender.

She smiled at him.  “You can just go up.  There’s a list when it gets busy, but right now it’s just whoever feels like getting up there.  We’ve got a band that takes requests for when no one else is performing.”

Blaine nodded.  “So I could…?”

“Why don’t you go right now?  This guy’s finishing up.”

Blaine smiled and slid off the bar stool, taking his drink with him.  He paused to make sure no one else was planning on performing at the moment before walking up the steps to the stage, acknowledging the band members with a wave before sitting at the piano.

“Hi,” he said, “my name is Blaine.  I’ve got a friend who is going through a tough time right now, and I wish there was more that I could do for her.  But for now, here’s a song about the strength people can have, even if they struggle to find it sometimes.”

Someone let out a whistle as he started to [play](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJsQzu-2zbw), and he smiled against the mic at the chatter and laughter before he began to sing.

“ _You shout it loud, but I can’t hear a word you say…_ ”

Blaine knew what it was like to feel as though the whole world was against you.  He remembered feeling so frustrated and powerless when he was younger, especially after he’d been assaulted.  His dad had told him he should have expected something like that, what with taking another boy to a high school dance.  His mom hadn’t said anything, and Cooper hadn’t come home.  He’d been alone, angry, scared, recovering physically but still with so much emotional healing left to go through.

“ _…you shoot me down, but I get up…_ ”

It wasn’t until he’d seen a therapist, actually talked to someone who wanted to listen and understand, that things had gotten better.  He’d taken up boxing to regain a sense of control and power over his own life, he transferred to Dalton and started over again, finding friends and safety and acceptance.  He had met Kurt, found love and something that felt like what he thought a family should feel like.

 “ _I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire way…_ ”

Blaine threw himself into the song completely, thinking of his dad, thinking of those guys that had jumped him and Ty.  He knew Rachel’s situation was completely different, but he hoped she’d find what she needed to pick herself back up again, start anew, rediscover Rachel Berry, because he truly did love his friend, and he hated seeing her so miserable.

“ _…you shoot me down, but I won’t fall; I am titanium!_ ”

The last notes of the piano faded away and Blaine took a deep breath.  Most of his audience had stopped talking, and when he looked up, they clapped and cheered enthusiastically, a few people whistling and catcalling.

“Thank you,” he said into the mic, before he stepped down from the stage, pulling out his phone to text Kurt.

This was the place.

***

“I’m just saying, Anderson, if you make me and my girl Kevser go up there and sing some stupid, humiliating crap, I will make you pay,” [Santana](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/23/article-2090646-116C0D74000005DC-371_224x674.jpg) told [Blaine](http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120527173435/glee/images/9/98/Darren-criss-prestige-january-04.jpg) the next night.  The two of them, along with [Mike](http://www.homorazzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/glee-teen-vogue-harry-shum-jr.jpg) and [Kevser](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z8s81T2C-vo/UBm3BzYNarI/AAAAAAAAAS8/vtec5OB2W0E/s1600/the-glee-project-episode-209-067.jpg), sat around a table at  _A Bar of Note(s)_ , sipping on drinks and nodding their heads to the music.  It was Karaoke Night, and surprisingly, most of the people who had gone up to sing had pretty good voices.

“But you do concede defeat?” Blaine teased and Santana scowled at him.

“Come on, Santana, if you had found this place, you’d be bragging all night long,” Mike told her, nudging her elbow, and she knocked his right back.

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Don’t worry,” Kevser said, “Blaine’s a big softie.  He’ll go easy on us.”

Blaine smiled against his glass, his eyes twinkling.  “We’ll see.”

Santana patted her arm.  “So young, so naïve.  Anyone who’s endured New Directions has a hidden dark side, Bambi.  Blaine can be just as mean as the rest of us; don’t let the bow ties fool you.”

Blaine’s phone buzzed with a message from Kurt.

_Rachel’s feeling a bit better now, so I convinced her to come out tonight.  We’re getting gussied up right now and should be there in a while <3_

Blaine smiled down at this good news, and an idea came to him.

“Rachel decided to join us tonight after all,” he announced to the group, “she and Kurt are getting ready now.  And I know what you two are going to sing.”

Santana raised her eyebrows, waiting.

Blaine smiled, amused as he anticipated Santana’s reaction.  “A song dedicated to Rachel when she gets here.”

Sure enough, she groaned and grumbled as Kevser and Mike laughed, but he could tell Santana wasn’t really bothered.

“Fine,” she finally said, fixing Blaine with a resolute look, “but no karaoke.  You’re getting up there to play piano for us, Blaine, since it’s your idea.”

 

 

Blaine’s smile widened as he mentally scrolled through a catalogue of songs.  “Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:
> 
> Titanium (David Guetta ft. Sia - piano acoustic) by Blaine


	2. And I Must Fly

[Rachel](http://static.entertainmentwise.com/gallery/4156499_spl137045_007.jpg) had stared blankly at the  **D-**  mocking her on the screen of Blaine’s laptop for a good 30 seconds before she felt [Kurt](http://25.media.tumblr.com/cb2bd1bb1c563898d0345587b099459b/tumblr_mfb4so8z461qeds6ko1_500.jpg) touch her elbow, saying her name softly.  She had started slightly, turning to look at him and then [Blaine](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me3bsg5DxR1qat4jdo1_500.gif) before she left their room silently, despite them calling her back, and walked to her room, feeling numb.

She had sat down on her bed and taken a breath.  All she could seem to focus on was the dull thud of her heart, pounding up in her head so hard that she had to close her eyes.  She had curled up on her bed, pulling the covers over her and willed sleep to come as a tear escaped and trickled down her face sideways.

After three days spent holed up in her room crying and listening to sad musical soundtracks while she ate her way through her entire stash of Chocolate Crème flavored Oreos and refused to talk to anyone, [she](http://24.media.tumblr.com/7db9979cc6871573e4e4953622b0fa9c/tumblr_mj5pg0BXGn1qeds6ko1_r2_500.jpg) was lying on her bed watching ‘Fame’.  When the scene where Coco strips for the seedy guy’s camera came on, Rachel suddenly sat up, knocking her box of dark chocolate to the ground.  She glared at the screen, glared at Coco’s unhappy face as this horrible man took advantage of her.  She clicked the mouse of her computer violently to pause the movie.

She and Coco were kindred spirits, taken advantage of and fooled by ill-intentioned and slimy people with all the power.  Just as Coco had taken off her shirt, pressured by the creepy director, Rachel had changed everything about herself because Cassandra July had made her, and now she hated herself.  She hated all the clothes in her closet, her piles of make-up, and her plethora of stiletto heels.

It all had to go.

She stomped over to her closet and started ripping clothes off her hangers until she had a full armload and then left her room, heading for the door of the loft.

“Hey Rachel,” came [Blaine’s](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mafsmuI3QH1qgs4sno2_r1_250.gif) bright voice, like he could erase everything that had gone wrong by sounding happy, “we found this really cool bar we’re going to go out to tonight; do you…”

He trailed off and stared at her.

“What the hell is she doing?” [Santana](http://25.media.tumblr.com/eb5acd878aea0b0c363bfd5341eefd9a/tumblr_mepx4363R41qkshc5o1_400.jpg) asked from where she was lazing on the couch and filing her nails.

“Rachel?”  She ignored them all and flung the door open, walking out.  “Rachel!”

She walked a little faster, furiously determined, as [Kurt](http://itsdiend.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/vlcsnap-2012-09-14-17h14m40s1611.jpg?w=640) followed behind her.  She had just grabbed the handle of the trash shoot when he caught up with her, slapping his palm against the shoot door and staring at her incredulously.

“You are  **not**  throwing out all those clothes.”

“Yes, I am, Kurt!” Rachel insisted, tugging fruitlessly on the handle.  “These clothes – this whole look – it’s just a representation of how Cassandra July has manipulated me and ruined my life!”

“Don’t be stupid,” Kurt said impatiently, “these clothes are expensive.  You could at least donate them to charity.”

“Oh, stop it,” she snapped, “I don’t care about being a do-gooder when everything is falling down around me, okay?  This isn’t…this isn’t some guy.  This is my career, my  _dream_.”

“Why don’t you come back inside and calm down?  I was just making your favorite blueberry pancakes for brunch.  Your dream isn’t over,” Kurt said, “you can retake the course – “

“Retake it?!  Another semester with that harpy?!”  Rachel turned to glare at her friend.  “You know what?  Take these,” she said, shoving the clothes into Kurt’s arms, “you’re right.  This isn’t the solution.”  She went back into the apartment and grabbed her jacket.

“Where are you going now?” Kurt just sounded tired and Rachel set her jaw.

“I’m going to go avenge myself and Coco!”

***

Rachel had no idea why she found her so easily, but she just took it as a sign that she was on the right track.  She stormed into her old dance classroom and stopped in her tracks, taking in [Cassandra](http://www.newsgab.com/attachments/celebrity-pictures/55503d1180092690-kate-hudson-black-sheer-top-90924_kate-hudson-sheer-tops-03_122_435lo.jpg), who was stretching at the barre. Cassandra saw her in the mirror and slowly turned around, eyebrow raised.

“Schwimmer.  Classes don’t start until Monday.  What are you doing here?”

“Stop calling me that,” Rachel spat, “just stop.  I don’t deserve you treating me like that.  And I’m going to get you fired, since you deliberately failed me just to ruin my life!  I demand you give me the grade I deserve, or I’m reporting you!”

Cassandra put her hands on her hips.  “I already gave you the grade you deserve, Rachel.  I didn’t fail you because you’re a snotty little brat – which you are – but because you did not meet the requirements for passing.  Simple as that.  I passed you in my afternoon tap class, didn’t I?”

Rachel gaped at her, desperate to find words when none would come to her.

“You’re a very talented singer,” Cassandra said, crossing her arms, “and you’ve got potential to be a great actor and a decent dancer.  But you aren’t applying yourself.  You just coast on your voice and whatever you can do to badger people into giving you what you want.  Do I seem like a person who is easily badgered?”

“You’ve been…you’ve done awful, awful things,” Rachel said, determined not to cry, “you’ve been horrible to me this whole time, and now you expect me to believe my grade is a completely ethical and professional decision?”

“You’re right,” Cassandra said, “I’ve done some things that weren’t fair to you, and out of line.  I can admit that.  Can you?  Don’t get me wrong; your tenacity can help you get places, but not the way you’re doing things now.  So I’ll make you a deal, Rachel.  You come to my class this semester, and I will pass you if you deserve it.  And in return, I promise I won’t single you out, or try to teach you any extra lessons about life, particularly with…unorthodox methods.

“But you need to work your ass off.  Don’t pout and make yourself the center of attention or expect special treatment or recognition from me or anyone else.  Because the way you’re going, you are not going to get anywhere in this business, and I don’t care how well you can sing.  Take it from someone who’s been around the block: a bad attitude is only something you can afford when you’re a Broadway vet.  It can destroy your career.”

Rachel closed her eyes, willing her tears away, and nodded her head minutely.  She turned, making to leave, but paused when Cassandra spoke again.

“And you should probably ease up on the ‘All About Eve’ thing.  Don’t think I haven’t noticed how your dance wardrobe took a quick turn towards being eerily similar to mine.”

Rachel walked away, hugging her stomach, her lip quivering.  She walked down the hall, heading towards one of the small auditoriums nearby.

[ _Empty spaces – what are we living for?  Abandoned places – I guess we know the score…_ ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBOvOatPqnY)

She couldn’t hold in her tears any longer; they trickled down her face as she neared the auditorium, pulling on the door and letting herself in.  It was empty.  She made her way to the stage, climbing the steps and walking to the middle, looking upstage for a moment before turning to face the empty audience.

_“Whatever happens, I’ll leave it to chance!  Another heartache, another failed romance…”_

Her hands closed into fists and she dropped them down at her sides.

“ _I guess I’m learning; I must be warmer now…I’ll soon be turning round the corner now…”_

She tilted her head back, gulping in breath between the lines, still crying as she spread out her hands and raised her arms up into the air.

“ _Ooh, inside my heart is breaking, my make-up –_  “

She wiped under her eyes, where her thick eye liner and mascara had run, and smeared the make-up away as best she could.

“  _– may be flaking…but my smile still stays on!”_

It must’ve been her imagination when the stage lights came on, illuminating her.  She continued to sing until they flicked off and a spotlight appeared, just in front of her.  She paused for a moment, and then strode forward, stepping right into it.

“ _I’ll top the bill!  I’ll overkill!  I have to find the will to carry on! with the show!”_

She was actually smiling now, through her tears, as she threw her arms out again.

_“with the show!  …The show must go on.”_

The spotlight flickered off when she finished, and the house lights turned on.  She heard clapping coming from the back of the auditorium and looked around for its source. 

[Kurt](http://makeshiftshakedown.deviantart.com/art/Polo-Kurt-Hummel-176767904) was starting to make his way down the steps.  He stopped clapping and put his hands in his pockets, smiling at her.  When he got closer, Rachel could see that his eyes were glistening with tears.  He got to the stage and looked up at her.

“Do you want to know how I know you’re going to make it?” He asked her.  “Because even when you’re a complete disaster, you can still do  _that_.”

Rachel sat down on the edge of the stage and gave Kurt a hand up so he could sit beside her, crossing his legs at the ankle and swinging them slightly.

“How did you know where to find me?”

Kurt smirked.  “In times of trouble, Rachel Berry retreats to her natural habitat: the stage.  This one was the closest to your dance class.”

Rachel let out a watery laugh, wiping under her eyes again.  Kurt handed her a tissue.  “You know me so well,” she said, heaving a sigh.  “And you kept trying to warn me, about Brody, about NYADA.  I should have listened to you.”

Kurt nodded his head thoughtfully.  “True.”

Rachel mock-glared at him, a smile playing on the corner of her mouth.  She looked up at the stage lights, pressing her lips together.  “And Blaine, and even Santana in her own way…you all tried to help.  I must’ve looked so stupid.”

“I know the break… _ups_  with Finn were hard,” Kurt said softly, “but please don’t throw away the girl who broke up with him.  Because she’s my best friend.”

She shook her head.  “I-I don’t know how to get her back.  I’ve been so lost.  In New York City.  What a cliché.”  She paused.  “I can’t believe I got rid of all my old clothes.”

“Ah, that.  Well, you know what they say…”  Kurt flipped open the flap of his satchel and pulled out a [sweater](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpdo4fAXra1qeds6ko1_r2_500.jpg), spreading it out on his lap for her to see.  “Clothes make the woman.”

Rachel opened her mouth but no words came out, and she reached forward, gingerly touching the fabric.  “You saved this?”

“Mmhmm.  A few other pieces, too.  It was Blaine’s idea, actually.  He thought we should hang on to some of it, in case you ever wanted them again.”  She was crying again, and Kurt patted her hand.  “So!  I was thinking, the new year doesn’t necessarily have to mean a new start.  It could mean…going back, rediscovering yourself.  Being reborn.  You have a lot of fabulous pieces in your wardrobe right now, but I’m not sure they all suit you.  What do you say we go back to the loft – Blaine and Santana are gone – and go through all of it, the new and the old, and find what suits you best?”

Rachel thought it was an excellent, thoughtful, touching idea.  Far better than she could come up with if the roles were reversed, she was sure.  So she nodded her head, smiling tremulously, and leaned towards Kurt, pressing her face against his chest as he hugged her.

“Did…Blaine say something about going out tonight?”

“Why?  Are you up for it?”

“I think so,” Rachel said slowly, “We could go through my closet tomorrow?  I’ve been cooped up so long; if I stay in the loft for another night, I’ll go crazy.”

“I think that ship has already sailed.”  Rachel smacked Kurt on the arm, but laughed anyway.

Before they left the auditorium, Rachel took off the sweater she had on and replaced it with the reindeer sweater, linking her arm with Kurt’s and walking out, keeping her head up high.

***

Later that night, [Rachel](https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAK2FeGj3uYDRIz1sv_IXaWCaD-c5MPM8wZ6bZZGI7r0-v8Inx) and [Kurt](http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpkks2vgwJ1qez66k.jpg) arrived at a small bar that didn’t look like much called 'A Bar of Note(s)'.  Kurt batted Rachel’s hands away from where she was tugging on her hair nervously and they let themselves inside.  She liked the place immediately, letting the bouncer stamp her wrist as Kurt exclaimed over the atmosphere, calling it “Kerouac-chic”.

They found [Mike](http://www.homorazzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/glee-teen-vogue-harry-shum-jr.jpg) sitting by himself near the back of the bar and joined him.

“Where are the others?” Rachel asked, and Mike nodded to the stage, where [Blaine](http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120527173435/glee/images/9/98/Darren-criss-prestige-january-04.jpg) was seated at a piano, and [Santana](http://www.gleenews.net/wp-content/plugins/RSSPoster_PRO/cache/2a0a3_article-2090646-116C0D74000005DC-371_224x674.jpg) and [Kevser](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z8s81T2C-vo/UBm3BzYNarI/AAAAAAAAAS8/vtec5OB2W0E/s1600/the-glee-project-episode-209-067.jpg) each had a microphone in hand.

Santana seemed to notice her.  “Oh!  Alright, so, this song goes out to our friend, Rachel,” she said, pointing right at Rachel with a wink.  Blaine beamed at Santana as he started to [play](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2K_F5h1poo), and Santana rolled her eyes back at him.

Santana began to sing, throaty and sultry:  “ _Everywhere I’m turning, nothing seems complete.  I stand up, and I’m searching for the better part of me…”_

Rachel put a hand to her mouth.  Even though she’d shed far too many tears as of late, she didn’t mind when her eyes welled up this time.  Santana and Kevser’s soulful voices harmonized and blended together beautifully.  They slung their arms over each other’s shoulders and swayed back and forth as the crowd whistled and cheered them on.  Rachel couldn’t recall the last time she’d ever heard something so wonderful, including her own voice.

“ _Even when I’m a mess, I still put on a vest with an S on my chest, oh yes, I’m a superwoman!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:
> 
> The Show Must Go On (Queen) by Rachel
> 
> Superwoman (Alicia Keys) by Santana and Kevser

**Author's Note:**

> Song Order: Titanium, The Show Must Go On, Superwoman


End file.
